Artificial porosity-pressure adjustable formation fluid-gas control system and method

ABSTRACT

An oil and gas downhole device is disclosed wherein the device separates the oil and gas from undesired water, which returns to the formation. The device includes a plurality of channels filled with elements fit tightly to a gas tight seal at atmospheric pressure with interstitial spaces. Under pressure the device allows oil and gas to pass but not water within its operating range of pressures. Also included is a method for using the device.

BACKGROUND OF THE DISCLOSURE 1. Field of the Disclosure

This disclosure relates to apparatuses and methods for separating waterfrom oil and gas in a hydrocarbon production well.

2. Description of the Related Art

In the production of wells, the effluent of the well may containdesirable and undesirable materials. An example of this is oil and gaswells, where oil and/or gas are produced alongside water. The oil and/orgas are desirable and the water is not.

A shortcoming of existing production wells is that significantquantities of water are brought to the surface and must be hauled awayin trucks or barges. The release of this water to the surface can reducewell pressure and release contaminants on the surface.

Another shortcoming of some existing production wells is the productionof minerals that must be extracted at the surface.

What is needed is a production system that suppresses the production ofminerals and water to the surface.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE

In aspects, the present disclosure is related to systems, apparatuses,and methods for hydrocarbon production, specifically for reduction ofproduced water from a well.

One embodiment according to the present disclosure includes an oil-fieldapparatus comprising: a cylindrical member with a central bore and aplurality of channels cut into an outer surface of the cylindricalmember; a plurality of openings at the bottom of each of the pluralityof channels, where each of the openings extends to the central bore; aplurality of elements disposed in each of the plurality of channels,wherein each of the plurality of elements has a length substantially thesame as a length of its respective channel, and wherein the plurality ofelements are arranged in at least two layers and fitted together to forma gas tight seal at normal atmospheric pressure; and a fastening meansat each of each of the plurality of elements to attached the elements tothe cylindrical member. The apparatus may also include an end capdisposed on one end of the cylindrical member to close the central bore.The apparatus may also include a wire screen wrapped around acircumference of the cylindrical member and covering plurality ofchannels. Elements in each channel maybe uniform or non-uniform.

Another embodiment according to the present disclosure includes a systemfor producing oil and/or gas from in a wellbore in a formation,comprising: a well tubing string disposed in the wellbore; an annularsealing device disposed in the wellbore and attached to the well tubingstring; an apparatus disposed on the well tubing string and below theannular sealing device the apparatus comprising: a cylindrical memberwith a central bore and a plurality of channels cut into an outersurface of the cylindrical member; a plurality of openings at the bottomof each of the plurality of channels, where each of the openings extendsto the central bore; a plurality of elements disposed in each of theplurality of channels, wherein each of the plurality of elements has alength substantially the same as a length of its respective channel, andwherein the plurality of elements are arranged in at least two layersand fitted together to form a gas tight seal at normal atmosphericpressure; and a fastening means at each of each of the plurality ofelements to attached the elements to the cylindrical member. The systemmay include an end cap disposed on a bottom end of the cylindricalmember. The system may include a second apparatus disposed below andcoupled in series with the apparatus; and an end cap disposed on abottom of the second apparatus instead of the first apparatus.

Another embodiment according to the present disclosure includes a methodfor producing gas and/or oil from a wellbore in a formation, the methodcomprising: flowing gas and/or oil from the wellbore through anapparatus connected to a tubing string disposed in the wellbore in anoperating pressure range of the apparatus, where the apparatuscomprises: a cylindrical member with a central bore and a plurality ofchannels cut into an outer surface of the cylindrical member; aplurality of openings at the bottom of each of the plurality ofchannels, where each of the openings extends to the central bore; aplurality of elements disposed in each of the plurality of channels,wherein each of the plurality of elements has a length substantially thesame as a length of its respective channel, and wherein the plurality ofelements are arranged in at least two layers and fitted together to forma gas tight seal at normal atmospheric pressure; and a fastening meansat each of each of the plurality of elements to attached the elements tothe cylindrical member; and rejecting the flow of water through theapparatus to the well tubing string. The method may also includeestimating an operating pressure range of the apparatus. The method mayalso include selecting the wellbore based on the operating pressurerange of the apparatus. The method may also include installing theapparatus in the wellbore. The method may also include injecting gasand/or oil into the wellbore prior to flowing gas and/or oil to thesurface. The injecting of gas may force some fluids in the wellbore backinto the formation.

Examples of the more important features of the disclosure have beensummarized rather broadly in order that the detailed description thereofthat follows may be better understood and in order that thecontributions they represent to the art may be appreciated. There are,of course, additional features of the disclosure that will be describedhereinafter and which will form the subject of the claims appendedhereto.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

For a further understanding of the nature and objects of the presentdisclosure, reference should be made to the following drawings in whichlike parts are given like reference numerals and wherein:

FIG. 1 is a diagram of one embodiment of a drilling system with anartificial porosity apparatus in a wellbore according to the disclosure;

FIG. 2 is a diagram of a side view of the apparatus according to oneembodiment of the disclosure;

FIG. 3 is a diagram of an end cross-sectional view of the apparatusaccording to one embodiment of the disclosure;

FIG. 4A is a diagram of a close up end view of the channel with bars inthe apparatus of FIG. 3;

FIG. 4B is a diagram of a close up end view of the channel with rods inthe apparatus of FIG. 3;

FIG. 4C is a diagram of a close up end view of the channel with rods ofdiffering diameters in the apparatus of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a diagram of a top view of the apparatus without the wirescreen or rings according to the disclosure;

FIG. 6 is a diagram of an interior view of the apparatus of FIG. 3without the outer screen or rings;

FIG. 7 is a diagram of another embodiment of the drilling system withmultiple artificial porosity apparatuses in a wellbore according to thedisclosure; and

FIG. 8 is a flow chart of a method of using the apparatus to removewater from an oil and gas stream according to the present disclosure.

While the inventions disclosed herein are susceptible to variousmodifications and alternative forms, only a few specific embodiments areshown by way of example in the drawings and are described in detailbelow. The figures and detailed descriptions of these specificembodiments are not intended to limit the breadth or scope of theinventive concepts or the appended claims in any manner. Rather, thefigures and detailed written descriptions are provided to illustrate theinventive concepts to a person of ordinary skill in the art, and toenable such persons to make and use one or more of the inventiveconcepts.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DISCLOSURE

FIG. 1 shows a diagram of a downhole production system 10 having anartificial porosity apparatus 100 disposed in a wellbore 20 in aformation 30 and configured to allow from oil and gas to flow to thesurface 40 while reducing the amount of water flowing to the surface 40.The system may include a well tubing string 50 disposed in the wellbore20 and connected to an annular sealing device 60 disposed between thewell tubing string 50 and a casing 70 in the wellbore 40. The annularsealing device 60 may include an isolation packer and is configured toprovide pressure isolation as would be understood by a person ofordinary skill in the art. The well tubing string 50 may include aproduction tubular suitable for downhole conditions in an oilfieldenvironment as would be understood by a person of ordinary skill in theart. The apparatus 100 may be disposed along the well tubing string 50in the wellbore 20 below the annular sealing device 60. The apparatus100 is configured to allow the passage of oil 120 and gas 130 but toreject or prevent the passage of water 140 from the wellbore 20 into thewell tubing string 50. Under certain conditions, the oil 110, the gas120, and the water 130 may flow from the formation 30 throughperforations 80 in the casing 70 into the well bore 20 below the annularsealing device 60. From the wellbore 20, the oil 110 and gas 120 mayflow through the apparatus 100 and into the well tubing string 50 and upto the surface 40. Some or all of the water 130 associated with the oil110 and the gas 120 may be rejected by apparatus 100 and remain in thewellbore 20 or flow back into the formation 30.

A condition that affects whether fluid will pass into the apparatus isdifferential pressure between the pressure in the wellbore 20 and thepressure inside well tubing string 50, which is the pressure across theapparatus 100. Under low pressures, there may no flow of fluid throughthe apparatus 100. Under intermediate pressures, the gas 120 or the oil110 and the gas 120 may flow through the apparatus 100 and into the welltubing string 50 but not the water 130. Within the intermediate pressurerange, there may be a lower range where only the gas 120 may flowthrough the apparatus 100 and an upper range where the gas 120 and theoil 110 may flow through the apparatus 100. At high pressure, the oil110, the gas 120, and the water 130 may flow through the apparatus 100and into the well tubing string 50. Thus, the placement of the apparatus100 in the wellbore 20 such that a suitable differential pressure acrossthe apparatus 100 is present for the operating pressure characteristicsof the apparatus 100 is critical to operations that require the flow ofeither only gas, or oil and gas, but not water. Generally, the operatingpressure for the apparatus 100 is the intermediate pressure range whenthe apparatus 100 is being configured to reduce the production of waterat the surface 40. The definitions for low, intermediate, and highpressures for a particular apparatus 100 are determined by thestructural design of the apparatus 100. The availability of saidpressures is determined by characteristics of the wellbore 20 and theformation 30, as would be understood by a person of ordinary skill inthe art. For example, a particular embodiment of the apparatus 100 mayhave a low pressure range of 0 to 100 psig (0 to 690 kPa), anintermediate pressure range of 100 to 800 psig (690 kPa to 5.52 MPa),and a high pressure range of above 800 psig (5.52 MPa). Within theintermediate range, only gas may flow between 100 and 200 psig (690 kPato 1.38 MPa), while gas and oil may flow in the range of 200 to 800 psig(1.38 MPa to 5.52 MPa). The above pressure ranges are exemplary andillustrative only, as the apparatus 100 may be configured to operateover different pressure ranges by adjusting its structure as discussedbelow.

FIG. 2 shows a side-view of an embodiment of the apparatus 100, whichincludes a cylindrical member 210 with a central bore 310 (see FIG. 3).The cylindrical member 210 may be made of any material selected assuitable for wellbore conditions in an oil well. Suitable materialsinclude steel and stainless steel, as well as, any materials suitablystructurally and chemically resistant to the downhole environment aswould be understood to one of ordinary skill in the art. In someembodiments, the cylindrical member 210 may include an outer layerresistant (not shown) to downhole conditions and a less resistantinterior (not shown) that does not come in direct contact with thefluids in the wellbore 20. The cylindrical member 210 may be acylindrical metal bar or a tubular with a suitably thick wall forhandling wellbore pressures and other conditions. In one embodiment, thecylindrical member 210 is a 28 inch long (71 centimeter) and 3.5 inch(8.9 centimeter) diameter stainless steel cylinder where the centralbore 310 is 1 inch (2.5 centimeters). As would be understood by personof ordinary skill in the art, the dimensions of the cylindrical member210 and the central bore 310 may varied based on the flowcharacteristics of the well, the dimensions of the well tubing string50, and the preferences of the operator. The ends of the cylindricalmember 210 may have threads 220 that serve as attachment points betweenthe apparatus 100 an the well tubing string 50 or other downhole toolsas would be understood by a person of ordinary skill in the art. In oneembodiment, the threads 220 extend for 2.5 inches (6.4 centimeters) oneach of the ends of the cylindrical member 210. In some embodiments,only one end may have the threads 220. The apparatus 100 also includes awire screen 230 wrapped around the circumference of the cylindricalmember 210. The wire screen 230 may be configured to keep sand and otherparticulate matter from entering the apparatus 100. In one embodiment,the wire screen 230 includes a 0.125 inch diameter (3.18 millimeter)stainless steel wire wrapped around the unthreaded portion of thecylindrical member 210 with a gap between wire windings of between 0.004inches and 0.079 inches (100 micrometers and 2000 micrometers). The gasbetween windings may be customized based on the typical particle sizeencountered in a particular well as would be understood by a person ofordinary skill in the art. The wire screen 230 may be welded at each endto the cylindrical member 210. An upper nut 240 and a lower nut 250 maybe threaded on the ends for the cylindrical member 210 to hold the wirescreen 230 in place longitudinally. The wire screen 230 may be radiallysecured to the cylindrical member 210 by one or more rings 260. Therings 260 may slideable along the longitudinal axis of the cylindricalmember 210 or formed by pairs of hemispherical sections that are coupledtogether, such as by welding. In some embodiments, the rings 260 mayinclude compression washers. The upper nut 240, and the lower nut 250,and the rings 260 also serve to protect the wire screen 230 from damageduring insertion, removal, and operation in the wellbore 20. Theapparatus 100 may include an optional end cap 270. The end cap 270 sealsthe central bore 310 to prevent fluids from entering the lower end ofthe cylindrical member 210. If multiple apparatuses 100 are being usedin series, only the lowest of them will have the end cap 270. In someembodiments, the central bore 310 may be incomplete (not shown) so thatthe central bore 310 does not penetrate both ends of the cylindricalmember 210.

FIG. 3 shows an end cross-section of the apparatus 100. The cylindricalmember 210 is shown with the central bore 310. A plurality of channels320 are formed in the surface of the cylindrical member 210. Thechannels 320 may be uniform or non-uniform in shape and size. Each ofthe channels 320 includes a plurality of flow control members such asbars 330 or rods 430 (see FIG. 4B) arranged in layers 340. Each of thebars 330 is dimensioned such that each layer 340 spans the width of oneof the channels 320 using a whole number of bars 330. The bars 330 maybe uniform or non-uniform in width and depth. While the channel 320 isshown with substantially equal width and depth, this is illustrative andexemplary only. In practice, the channels 320 may be deeper than theyare wide or wider than they are deep. While there are four channels 320shown, this is illustrative and exemplary as well, as any number ofchannels 320 may be used. The channels 320 may be uniformly ornon-uniformly spaced along the circumference of the cylindrical member320. The bars 330 may be solid or hollow. The size, structure, andmaterial of the bars 330 may be selected based on the well pressureconditions of the well where the apparatus 100 is installed. Fluidcommunication between the channels 320 and the central bore 310 isprovided for through multiple openings 350 between each of the channels320 and the central bore 310. In one exemplary embodiment, the channel320 may be about 0.50 inches by 0.50 inches (1.27 centimeters by 1.27centimeters) width and extend the length of the cylindrical member 310between the first nut 240 and the second nut 250. In one embodiment,where the cylindrical member 310 is 28 inches (71 centimeters) with 2.5inch (6.4 centimeter) threaded ends, the channels 320 may be up to 23inches (58.2 centimeters) in length, though the channel length may bereduced to modify the amount of flow into the apparatus 100.

FIG. 44 shows a close up of the end view of one of the channels 320 inthe surface of the cylindrical member 210 from FIG. 3, The bars 330 maybe spaced uniformly or non-uniformly within the channel 320. The bars330 are formed with tight tolerances such that they fit together to forma gas tight seal at normal atmospheric pressure, but have someinterstitial spaces 410 in between while under an operating pressure. Insome embodiments, the bars 330 in a layer 340 may be dimensioned bydividing the width of the channel 320 by a whole number of bars 330 ofsubstantially similar size; however, the bars 330 may be non-uniform insize so long as they are arranged to fit the width of the channel 320and the spacing between the bars 330 is air tight at low pressures (onthe order of 100 psig (690 kPa) or less). In some embodiments, the bars330 may be formed to a tolerance of about 0.001 to 0.003 of an inch(about 25-75 micrometers), and the bars 330 are fitted together to beair tight in the channel 320 at normal atmospheric pressure. Forexample, if the channel 320 is 0.50 inches (12.7 millimeters) by 0.50inches (12.7 millimeters) and each layer 340 has four bars that areuniform and square, then each bar 330 would be about 0.125 inches by0.125 inches (3.18 millimeters by 3.18 millimeters) and have a lengththat is about the length of the channel 320. In an embodiment, with achannel length of 23 inches (58.2 centimeters) each bar would have anominal length of about 23 inches (58.2 centimeters) with sufficientspace on each end for a fastening means to secure the bar 330 to thecylindrical member 210. Interstitial spaces 410 may form between thebars 330 when the bars 330 are exposed to differential pressures betweenthe wellbore 20 and the central bore 310, and the interstitial spaces410 allow fluid from the wellbore 20 (usually a combination of water,oil and gas) to flow from the wellbore 20 into the central bore 310through the channels 320. In some embodiments, the material propertiesof the flow control elements may impact water rejection by the apparatus100, as some materials are hydrophilic and may impair the movement ofwater molecules through the matrix of flow control elements whileallowing the passage of gas and oil under intermediate pressureconditions.

The number and size of the interstitial spaces 410 impact the flow rateand the water reduction of the apparatus 100. In some embodiments, thebars 330 may vary in width and depth so long as the bars 330 aredimensioned to fill the channel 320 and maintain the tight fittinglayers 340, such that gas, oil, and water cannot flow into the apparatus100 at low pressures (under about 100 psig (690 kPa)). Increasing thenumber of bars 330 in a layer 340 may increase flow rate of theapparatus 100, but may require thinning of the bars 330 that expose themto a risk of deformation under the differential pressure. Reducing thenumber of bars 330 results in lower flow and less deformation risk, butmay increase the risk of an increase quantity of produced water.Similarly, increasing the number of layers 340 in a channel 320 mayreduce the flow rate through the channel at the same pressure; however,reducing the number of layers 340 may increase the flow rate at the riskof an increase in the quantity of produced water. The selection of thedimensions of the flow control elements, whether bars 330 or rods 430,the number of layers 340 and the number of flow control elements perlayer 340 may be adjusted to achieve the desired rate of flow for aspecific set of well characteristics as would be understood by a personof ordinary skill in the art with the benefit of this disclosure. Theflow of fluid is also influenced by the size and/or the shape of theopenings 340, which provide back pressure to reduce stress on the bars330 due the differential pressure across the bars 330. In someembodiments, the openings 340 may be dimensioned to have a diameter (ifa circular), side length (if square), or a long dimension (if X-shaped,a cross, or a rectangular) of about one-eighth the width of the channel320. The size and number of the openings 340 in each channel 320 may bevaried to adjust the amount of flow into the central bore 310 and/or thestress on the flow control elements as would be understood by a personof ordinary skill in the art.

FIG. 4B shows a close up of the end view of one of the channels 320 inthe surface of the cylindrical member 210 with flow control elementsthat are rods 430 instead of bars 330. Similar to FIG. 4A, the rods 430are sized and arranged to form layers 340 such that a whole number ofrods 430 spans the width of the channel 320. In some embodiments, therods 430 may be solid, tubular, or a combination thereof. The rods 430maybe fitted together to be air tight at low pressures (on the order of100 psig (690 kPa) or less). The number of rods 430 per layer 340 and/orthe number of layers 340 per channel 320 may be adjusted to modify theamount of flow into the central bore 310 at a given pressure asdisclosed with regard to FIG. 4A.

FIG. 4C shows a close up of the end view of one of the channels 320 inthe surface of the cylindrical member 210 with rods 430 of differingdiameters. The rods 430 are sized to form layers 340 such that a wholenumber of rods 430 spans the width of the channel 320. In someembodiments, the rods 430 may be arranged so that the layer 340 isstaggered rather than flat. In some embodiments, the rods 430 may besolid, tubular, or a combination thereof. Again, the rods 430 are fittedtogether to form an air tight barrier between the outside of the channel320 and the openings 350 at low pressures (on the order of 100 psig (690kPa) or less). Similar to the disclosure regarding FIGS. 4A and 4B, theflow into the central bore 310 through the channels 320 may be modifiedby adjusting the number of rods 430 per layer 340 and/or the number oflayers 340 in the channel 320.

FIG. 5 shows a top view of the apparatus 100 without the wire screen230, the upper nut 240, the lower nut 250, and the rings 260. At theends of the channel 320, a fastening means 510 is shown to attach theends of the bars 330 to the cylindrical member 210. The fastening means510 may be any suitable attachment that prevents the bars 330 (or rods430) from begin detached from the cylindrical member 210 duringoperations in the wellbore 20 and is not deteriorated by wellboreconditions. Exemplary fastening means 510 may include welds, clips,screws, and compression fitting.

FIG. 6 shows a top view of the apparatus 100 with the bars 330 removedso that the openings 350 may be seen. The plurality of openings 350allow passage of oil and gas from the wellbore 20 to reach the centralbore 310 for movement to the surface 40. The openings 350 may be formedin one or more shapes. The shapes may include, but are not limited to,cross-shaped, X-shaped, circular, rectangular or square. As discussedregarding FIG. 4A, the dimensions of and number of openings 350 may bevaried based on desired pressure and flow characteristics of the channel320 with the flow control elements in place. In some embodiments, thelong dimension of the opening may be about 0.063 inches (1.6millimeters) when the width of the channel 320 is about 0.500 inches(12.7 millimeters).

FIG. 7 shows a diagram of another downhole production system 700 havingan artificial porosity apparatus 100 disposed in the wellbore 20 in theformation 30 and configured to allow from oil and gas to flow to thesurface 40 while reducing the amount of water flowing to the surface 40.The components of the system 700 are the same as the system 10; however,instead of the apparatus 100 terminating with either an end cap 270 oran incomplete bore 310, a second apparatus 710 is disposed below theapparatus 100 in the wellbore 20. The second apparatus 710 is in fluidcommunication with the apparatus 100 through a tubular extension 720,such as a coupling between the threaded sections 220 or a portion oftubular. The second apparatus 710 may terminate either with anincomplete bore or, as shown, with the end cap 270. With the secondapparatus 710 in fluid communication with the apparatus 100, the amountof flow from the wellbore 20 into the well tubing string 50 may beincreased. In some embodiments, additional apparatuses 100 may be addedin series above the second apparatus 710.

FIG. 8 shows a flow chart of a method 800 for producing gas or gas/oilwhile reducing water production using the apparatus 100. In step 810,the apparatus 100 is tested over a range of pressures to determine thelow, intermediate, and high pressure ranges, wherein the intermediaterange is the pressure where the apparatus 100 will allow the passage ofthe gas 120 or the oil 110 and the gas 120, as desired, but mostly orcompletely reject the passage of water 130. In step 820, a well isselected where the apparatus 100 may be disposed at a depth within theintermediate pressure range. Well selection may include evaluation ofwell. Evaluation of the well may include measuring or estimating thehydrostatic head or pressures at various depths within the wellbore 20.In step 830, optionally, the number of layers 340 or flow controlelements per layer 340 may be adjusted to optimize the flowcharacteristics of the apparatus for the selected well. In step 840, oneor more of the apparatus 100 may be disposed within the wellbore 20along the well tubing string 50 below the annular sealing device 60. Ifthe well tubing string 50 terminates at the annular sealing device 60,then the apparatus 100 may be directly attached to the bottom of theannular sealing device 60. The apparatuses 100 may be installed inseries or parallel. In step 850, gas and/or oil may be injected from thesurface 40 to displace fluid in the wellbore 20 back into the formation30. In some embodiments, step 850 is optional. In step 860, the gas/thegas and the oil flow through the channels 320 into the openings 350 andinto the central bore 310 and up the well tubing string 50. In step 870,the water flows through the wellbore 20 and back into the formation 20.

For example, it may be determined that one embodiment of the apparatus100, when tested over a range of pressures in step 810, is determined tohave a low pressure range that is below 100 psig (690 kPa), aintermediate pressure range for gas is 100 to 800 psig (690 kPa to 5.52MPa), a intermediate range for oil is 200 to 800 psig (1.38 MPa to 5.52MPa), and a high pressure range is above 800 psig (5.52 MPa). A well maybe selected where the apparatus 100 may be installed where the pressurein the wellbore 20 is 500 psig (3.45 MPa), which falls in theintermediate pressure ranges of both oil and gas. Once the well isselected, apparatus 100 may be installed in the wellbore 20. From thatpoint, oil and gas will flow across the barriers presented by the wirescreen 230, the bars 330 (or the rods 430), and through the openings 350and into the central bore 310 from transport up the well tubing string50. The water 130, which is unable to pass through all of the barriers,will be rejected back into the wellbore 30 and possibly back into theformation 20 through the perforations 80.

In some embodiments, a single apparatus 100 may be installed in step 840and may include the end cap 270 on its lower end. In some embodiments,where step 840 may include installing more than one apparatus 100, anend cap 270 may be included on each separate series formed by thearrangement of the apparatuses 100 on the lower end of the lower orlowest of the apparatuses 100 of each series.

All of the apparatuses and methods disclosed and claimed herein can bemade and executed without undue experimentation in light of the presentdisclosure. While the methods and apparatus of this invention have beendescribed in terms of preferred embodiments, it will be apparent tothose of skill in the art that variations may be applied to the methods,processes and/or apparatus and in the steps or in the sequence of stepsof the methods described herein without departing from the concept andscope of the invention. More specifically, it will be apparent thatcertain features which are both mechanically and functionally relatedcan be substituted for the features described herein while the same orsimilar results would be achieved. All such similar substitutes andmodifications apparent to those skilled in the art are deemed to bewithin the scope and concept of the invention.

While embodiments in the present disclosure have been described in somedetail, according to the preferred embodiments illustrated above, it isnot meant to be limiting to modifications such as would be obvious tothose skilled in the art.

The foregoing disclosure and description of the disclosure areillustrative and explanatory thereof, and various changes in the detailsof the illustrated apparatus and system, and the construction and themethod of operation may be made without departing from the spirit of thedisclosure.

What is claimed is:
 1. An oil-field apparatus comprising: a cylindricalmember with a central bore and a plurality of channels cut into an outersurface of the cylindrical member; a plurality of openings at the bottomof each of the plurality of channels, where each of the openings extendsto the central bore; a plurality of elements disposed in each of theplurality of channels, wherein each of the plurality of elements has alength substantially the same as a length of its respective channel, andwherein the plurality of elements are arranged in at least two layersand fitted together to form a gas tight seal at normal atmosphericpressure; and a fastening means at each of each of the plurality ofelements to attached the elements to the cylindrical member.
 2. Theapparatus of claim 1, wherein each of the openings is cross shaped. 3.The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the elements are rectangular.
 4. Theapparatus of claim 1, wherein the elements are made of stainless steel.5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the plurality of elements arearranged in at least four layers.
 6. The apparatus of claim 1, furthercomprising: an end cap disposed on one end of the cylindrical member toclose the central bore.
 7. The apparatus of claim wherein the centralbore extends fully through the cylindrical member.
 8. The apparatus ofclaim 1, further comprising: a wire screen wrapped around acircumference of the cylindrical member and covering plurality ofchannels.
 9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein all of the elementswithin each channel are uniform in shape.
 10. A system for producing oiland/or gas from in a wellbore in a formation, comprising: a well tubingstring disposed in the wellbore; an annular sealing device disposed inthe wellbore and attached to the well tubing string; an apparatusdisposed on the well tubing string and below the annular sealing devicethe apparatus comprising: a cylindrical member with a central bore and aplurality of channels cut into an outer surface of the cylindricalmember; a plurality of openings at the bottom of each of the pluralityof channels, where each of the openings extends to the central bore; aplurality of elements disposed in each of the plurality of channels,wherein each of the plurality of elements has a length substantially thesame as a length of its respective channel, and wherein the plurality ofelements are arranged in at least two layers and fitted together to forma gas tight seal at normal atmospheric pressure; and a fastening meansat each of each of the plurality of elements to attached the elements tothe cylindrical member.
 11. The system of claim 10, further comprisingan end cap disposed on a bottom end of the cylindrical member.
 12. Thesystem of claim 10, further comprising: a second apparatus disposedbelow and coupled in series with the apparatus; and an end cap disposedon a bottom of the second apparatus.
 13. A method for producing gasand/or oil from a wellbore in a formation, the method comprising:flowing gas and/or oil from the wellbore through an apparatus connectedto a tubing string disposed in the wellbore in an operating pressurerange of the apparatus, where the apparatus comprises: a cylindricalmember with a central bore and a plurality of channels cut into an outersurface of the cylindrical member; a plurality of openings at the bottomof each of the plurality of channels, where each of the openings extendsto the central bore; a plurality of elements disposed in each of theplurality of channels, wherein each of the plurality of elements has alength substantially the same as a length of its respective channel, andwherein the plurality of elements are arranged in at least two layersand fitted together to form a gas tight seal at normal atmosphericpressure; and a fastening means at each of each of the plurality ofelements to attached the elements to the cylindrical member; andrejecting the flow of water through the apparatus to the well tubingstring.
 14. The method of claim 13, further comprising: estimating anoperating pressure range of the apparatus.
 15. The method of claim 13,further comprising: selecting the wellbore based on the operatingpressure range of the apparatus.
 16. The method of claim 13, furthercomprising: installing the apparatus in the wellbore.
 17. The method ofclaim 13, further comprising: injecting gas and/or oil into the wellboreprior to flowing gas and/or oil to the surface.